What are some good Linux server providers?

I'm new to Linux, I just installed Ubuntu on my desktop PC. I've been hosting my websites on a shared hosting for a few years now but I need to move to a virtual server. I know most providers offer Linux hosting, but what are some good ones? Preferably, they should offer servers with different distros and have a vast knowledgebase with tech support. I plan on getting a CentOS virtual server so I can learn both Ubuntu and CentOS at the same time via my server and home PC.

If you need tech support, you should go for a managed VPS provider. If you don't know how to manage a VPS, get a managed VPS.

If you know how to run and manage a Linux server, then get Linux cloud hosting. Simple as that. Most of the Linux cloud hosting providers are great. Linode, Vultr, RamNode etc. So you can't really go wrong.

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I like using DigitalOcean.com. You can deploy a VPS for as little as $5/per month and they let you install many different versions of Linux for you to play around with. I use them to help make Linux tutorials since it's super easy to just install a fresh installation and get going, even if you make a mistake.

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You can still get a cPanel or some other control panel like Webmin and use it on your virtual server. That way, you wont notice any difference in the user experience. If you want to learn Linux, though, I wouldn't suggest using a control panel.

I use RoseHosting and they offer Linux VPS. They have CentOS, Ubuntu, Debian, Scientific Linux and some other distros as servers. They perfectly fit your requirements - they post tutorials on their blog, they are fully-managed and they have 24/7 tech support.

Actually, I wanted to learn Linux too and the way I did it is similar to you; I installed Ubuntu on my home PC, then I got a Ubuntu VPS and started following Linux courses, started reading the tutorials at Linux.com and I was active in different Linux communities. The nice thing about RoseHosting was that when I broke something, I contacted their support team and they fixed it for me.

And as always, if you have any questions or problems feel free to ask them here.